Road Trip in Saudi Arabia Photodump

"LastFirstMI is my name" (donstone13) 02/27/2017 at 09:20 • Filed to: Road trip

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Flying low- not to evade radar, it’s just that everyone ignores the speed limit

Hijaz railway- the one TE Lawrence blew up in Lawrence of Arabia

Smoky

Road maintenance means moving the occasional sand dune

Pedestrian crossing. These are the only camel toes you’ll see in Saudi Arabia

There’s nothing quite like getting pulled over by the police in a foreign country. We were taken to meet the local Captain, who had copies of our passports already for some reason? Fortunately they just wanted to give us an escort since we were close to the Iraq border; I was probably safer there than I am now (in Baltimore). We almost missed our flight out because our driver had planned on averaging 140 km/hour but had to slow down to keep pace with the escort....

E90M3 > LastFirstMI is my name 02/27/2017 at 09:31

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Saudi Arabia, ah you work in oil.

Mercedes Streeter > LastFirstMI is my name 02/27/2017 at 09:47

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How was the Panther holding up to that weather? I wonder if the paint was peeling off like all the local cruisers?

My bird IS the word > LastFirstMI is my name 02/27/2017 at 11:48

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The fun I could have on those roads....

LastFirstMI is my name > Mercedes Streeter 02/27/2017 at 12:37

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More of a sand blasted look

LastFirstMI is my name > E90M3 02/27/2017 at 12:38

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Close- health care, funded by oil. Until oil crashed and everyone started jumping off the sinking ship

just-a-scratch > LastFirstMI is my name 02/27/2017 at 13:28

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Saudi is a weird place (to me). I spent a month in Riyadh a few years ago. I’m glad I didn’t have to drive there.
How long were you over there and where did you stay?

LastFirstMI is my name > just-a-scratch 02/27/2017 at 14:02

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Riyadh, 2.5 years. I’ve never been in a NASCAR race, but my daily commute was pretty close. Absolutely no regard for traffic laws. Daily death and destruction, and other than check-points with assault rifles there is no traffic enforcement. I never worried about terrorists but every day I white-knuckled that drive.

Left turns on red, random U-turns, and so many punks drifting in Hiluxes! Not to mention getting passed by Bentleys and Maseratis driven as if they are disposable. What a crazy place. Reminded me of Dallas.....

just-a-scratch > LastFirstMI is my name 02/27/2017 at 14:38

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Reminded you of Dallas, huh? That means Dallas might go a bit lower on my list of places to travel.
The foreigner compounds in Riyadh were a trip. I thought they were military at first. Nope, just workers from other countries.
As to getting around, the impression was that the foreign taxi drivers were more careful. The locals were more likely to treat things as ‘ disposable ’ as you so aptly put it.
Edit: I don’t want to sound too negative here. It was a really worthwhile trip. I’m not saying it was fun. It was a 14hour/day 6.5 day/week work trip. I got to see a lot I would not have otherwise. It made me appreciate some really different perspectives.

E90M3 > LastFirstMI is my name 02/27/2017 at 17:22

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That crash really did have far reaching consequences.